


Rollin' With the Punches

by lbk_princen



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, Pale-Red Vacillation, Palerom, Quadrant Vacillation, redrom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 02:37:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2530895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lbk_princen/pseuds/lbk_princen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat is not the kind of guy to "just roll with it". When Dave breaks down from a lapse of that very attitude, Karkat wants to be there to support him, to keep him calm and sane... only for Dave to pull a punch that Karkat might actually be happy to roll with.<br/>~~<br/>wow I suck at summaries. Basically a davekat pale/red quadrant flip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rollin' With the Punches

**Author's Note:**

> Based off these drawings by tumblr user fear-dearest: http://deer-dearest.tumblr.com/post/101235523380/wooowwww-quadrant-flippin-how-original-but-like

A quiet day on the meteor was a typical day on the meteor. Everyone had their routines, spent quality time alone or with each other. Karkat was flipping through a book, scanning the words but not really reading them. Ennui was to be expected, considering how lax a normal day way. Since he wasn't very invested in his book at all and just actually very bored, when he saw the flutter of a cape go by the doorway he snapped his book shut and stood up. He hadn't spent good quality time with Dave in a while, mostly because he had extricated himself from the human's company in order to sort out some... rather confusing feelings concerning him.

"Dave?" Karkat called out, jogging over to the doorway only to watch the flapping end of a red cape disappear around the corner. Grumbling under his breath, Karkat hurried to catch up, wondering why Dave had been rushing through the hall so quickly. A brief stab of panic shot through him. He hoped nothing was wrong. 

The redblood turned the corner, again just missing Dave by a couple seconds, the transportalizer lighting up green. Karkat crossed the hall quickly, determined to find out what Dave was doing. He stepped onto the pad and felt the familiar pressure of space bending around him as his molecules were taken apart and put back together somewhere else on the meteor. This particular somewhere else was the wing of the meteor that Dave had claimed for himself; various odds and ends belonging to the blond were scattered about. A smuppet here, a suit there, an admittedly impressive turntable setup tucking into the corner that looked like it had some major alchemy-upgrades. 

Dave himself had his back to Karkat, still walking away towards his diurnal resting platform. Just as Karkat stepped off the telepad, he saw Dave raise his arm in a telltale movement - wiping his eyes. "Dave? Are you crying?" Karkat was shocked by his own voice, and Dave startled, twisting around and- oh. Yeah, he was crying.

Dave's eyes were puffy and red, his shades pushed up on his forehead to better wipe at his irritated oculars. Translucent, faded teartracks traced their way down his cheeks, and Karkat felt his heart break a little for this poor pathetic human boy. He wanted to gather Dave up in his arms and make him better. He didn't ever want to have to see that look on Dave's face ever again, so vulnerable and _helpless._

"Karkat?" Dave sniffled, his voice steadier than Karkat expected it to be. "What are you doing here, man? I'm- shit, I didn't want anyone to see... yeah." His voice all of a sudden got very small, and Karkat felt a swell of pit so hard and sudden for a moment he thought he might pass out.

"Hey," Karkat said softly, walking towards Dave with his hands slightly outstretched. Dave closed his eyes and walked backwards until his legs connected with his bed, sitting himself down. "Hey," Karkat repeated, easing himself down beside Dave. His eyes were wide and concerned, and he tentatively reached out, put his hands on Dave's face. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Dave was silent for a moment, then he hiccuped and leaned away from Karkat's hands. The troll couldn't help but be hurt by that, even though it was only so that Dave could wipe his face again on his sleeve. "I've just been thinking about shit. About everything we did, what we caused. About what's going to happen next, about the people I lost... The people I might lose. I just kind of sat there thinkin' about all this crazy shit and it was like the universe was collapsing in on me, you know?" 

Karkat nodded, because he did know, he really did. 

"I don't even know what happened I was just thinking about all this fucking depressing shit and then I was crying and I don't even..." Dave's voice pitched up, starting to sound a bit hysterical. "I don't even know what happened I'm freaking out a little and I don;t know what to-" Karkat silenced him with a hand on his face, and this time Dave didn't pull away. Instead he locked eyes with Karkat, and after a moment, leaned into the troll's touch.

Karkat cupped Dave's cheek, gently sliding his thumb over the residual tears, clearing them away. He made a soft noise in his throat, all comfort, all soothing. He brought his other hand up to touch the other side of Dave's face, bringing him forward so that Karkat could mutter shooshes to his hairline and gently kiss his forehead. It was so achingly pale that Karkat sighed, almost at the same time as Dave. They stayed like that for a timeless moment, Karkat stroking Dave's face tenderly, his eyes gentle and mouth smiling; Dave with half lidded eyes, slumped shoulders, and slightly flushed cheeks. 

Karkat was enjoying the moment so much that he didn't complain or even really notice when Dave lifted his head a little. He felt a solid, soft hand on his face, lifting his chin and his heart sang. It wasn't really a true pap but Dave was only human so it was understandable that he didn't quite- everything in Karkat's brain shut down for a second because Dave was _kissing_ him and it was not pale _at all._

At first he was just too shocked to do anything, his brain frozen from the sudden emotional whiplash from pale to flush. But Dave didn't stop kissing him, and his lips were warm and chapped and _interesting,_ so Karkat slid his arms up around Dave's neck, his eyelids lowering as he kissed back. Their lips slid together, meeting corners of mouths and edges of teeth. Karkat's head spun, loving the feeling of Dave reaching around his waist and pulling him closer. There was a couple more seconds of this before Karkat inhaled sharply and Dave pulled away. He rested his forehead against Karkat's, both their faces flushed red. 

"Well that was the last fucking thing I expected," Karkat breathed out, not loosening his arms from around Dave's neck.

Dave snorted with laughter, a smile curling up his lips. "Ditto, dude. But as long as we're both enjoying ourselves, right?"

Karkat squinted, but couldn't keep the smile off of his face despite the confused tangle of feelings Dave had somehow ensnared him in. "We're going to have to talk about this," he warned. Dave just rolled his eyes.

"Later, Karkat. For now let's just, roll with what we got goin' here." Dave waited for Karkat to consider this, and finally give a tiny nod before pressing their lips together again. 

Later might not come for a while.


End file.
